Birthdaywine 9
Fonta Flora Brewery

Poured at a share at fridge temp. Pours a very brown muddy opaque. Little head. The nose is sherry, chocolate. The taste is rather sweet. Bourbon, chocolate, and toffee dominate.

Received in a trade 1-14-23; sampled a half of the 750 ml bottle 6-16-23.

Beer poured dark reddish brown with no head.

Nose is very nice, full of dark fruits.

Taste is a huge malt base that grabs primarily the sherry cask aging which lends notes of raisons, figs, and brown sugar. I am getting a consistent theme of the bourbon heat, but the barrel characteristics are not powerful enough to cut through. Finishes too sweet although the overall flavor is good.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied and smooth.

Overall this is good but not great by any stretch.

Opaque super dark brown with a medium brown head. Smelling right away the musty sherry barrel with bourbon, as it warms the molasses, barley and toasted caramel glazed oak emerge more to balance. Taste vinous dark fruit with oak, then barley, with rest of elements are muddled to end. Feel is boozy, somewhat thin but barley, oak, and malt are made known

This is very sweet overall, lots of brown sugar plus hints of apple and pear. The barrels are prominent, plenty of bourbon but the sherry is more prominent resulting in sugary, musty grape at the finish. I also got hints of cinnamon. The carbonation was low and the body a bit watery. Overall this works well, glad to have tried it.

 

Appearance: Arrives coffee colored with a film that quickly fades to a collar; no lacing

Smell: Caramel and fruitcake spices; the Sherry is more prominent in the aroma than the Bourbon

Taste: Caramel and fruitcake spice forward with some dark fruit tones adding complexity; the Sherry barrel flavors emerge with just a hint of Bourbon alongside

Mouthfeel: Full body with low carbonation

Overall: I generally approach Double Barrel beers with trepidation as I have tasted more misses than hits; I still keep seeking them out as the hits can be sublime; in this particular instance, I don't feel that the Bourbon and Sherry worked particularly well together though this was still a nice Barleywine